Driving holidays in Majorca (Sóller, Puerto Pollensa & Valldemosa)
By Guest author Ross A’Mundo
The island of Majorca makes a excellent destination for a driving holiday, it is diverse enough to offer many different experiences in a short space of time and also small enough that you don’t need to spend too long driving between locations.
To explore the whole island in a day however is unachievable, ideally you can break the island into east and west and spend a day/s doing either section.
In this article I will give you a summary of what we would recommend if you want to explore the west coast of Majorca in a couple of days.
Itinerary
Leave Palma city and head west on the Ma-1, where the road passes by the commercial town of Palma Nova. The first stop after Palma Nova is Santa Ponça which is a town with a long and rich history. This is where King Jaime disembarked on 10th September 1229 in his quest to conquer the island and take it from the Moors after more than 300 years of Muslim domination.
Leaving Santa Ponça drive along the same road until you reach Port D’ Andratx, which is another summer hotspot. Once you have explored the port I recommend that you head into the main town of Andratx 5 km from the port. This is arguably once of the most historically interesting towns on Majorca – which is home to a Gothic church and the Son Mas mansion.
Once you have left Andratx get back onto the Ma-10 heading north, this road hugs the jagged coastline and makes for an interesting section of road with most of the road running alongside a cliff edge.
Your next stop should then be the small municipality of Estellencs which is perched on the steep slopes of the Galatazo mountain peak. This is a town that is well worth some time exploring on foot, you can also walk from the town to the Cala de Estellencs cove, where a water spring falls from the high cliffs above.
After leaving Estellencs travel a further 8km (by this point you are 26km from Palma) to a place called Banyalbufar which is said by many to be one of the most scenic points on the island.
Valldemosa
Following this get back onto the Ma-10 and continue onto Valldemossa. This is the town that Chopin and George Sand spent a winter. You can visit the place that the composer stayed at and if you time it well you can catch a piano recital too.
After Valldemossa head to Deia which is a small town that the English writer Robert Graves called home for many years. He is buried in the Campo Santo cemetery which has a stunning panoramic view overlooking Deia.
Port de Sóller
The next stop after Deia should be Port de Sóller, this is a coastal town around 5km from Deia and a wonderful place to stop and have some lunch or a drink. The town of Sóller is linked to Palma by an Edwardian electric train which travels along the Serra de Tramuntana back to the city. Trains travel to and from Sóller frequently throughout the summer months. A round trip will take approximately 3 hours, I would highly recommend experiencing the railway if you are spending a few days on the island.
Once you have finished at Sóller depending on what time you have you can either travel back down to Palma, or head further north. If you are heading south to Palma you need to get onto the Ma-11 which takes you directly back to the city.
Puerto Pollensa
If you are heading north get back on the Ma-10 road which will take you to the historical town of Pollensa and the resort town of Puerto Pollensa. Puerto Pollensa is a popular holiday resort that has managed to hold onto its charm without being overdeveloped. If you have time make sure you have a walk along the pine walk and stop for a drink in the exclusive Illa Dor hotel. If you are staying in the resort for a night there are many hotels in Puerto Pollensa that range in prices and taste.
A couple of days in this area of the island will give you time to drive to Cap de Formentor as well. Formentor is a cove to the left of Puerto Pollensa, to say that the drive there is spectacular is an understatement. The road winds up the mountain side taking in many hairpin bends (if you are not a confident driver, I recommend you take the public bus). There is a large stopping place halfway to Formentor, which offers outstanding photo opportunities (see image below). If you do take the public bus and leave your car in Puerto Pollensa this will give you the chance to take the boat back from Formentor which is equally enjoyable.
From Puerto Pollensa you are a 20 minute drive from Alcudia. The old town of Alcudia which is a walled town is worth some time exploring, if you like Roman history there are some significant Roman ruins in and around to old town – including a Roman amphitheatre.
If you do this trip it will give you a good flavour of the island and take you to some of its most scenic destinations, Majorca is a place that I personally have never grown tired of and after you have visited it I’m confident you won’t either.
